Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today introduced a package of bills that contain several provisions to protect important sites in New Mexico.  The package, which falls under the jurisdiction of Bingaman’s Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, will be sent to the Senate floor for immediate consideration.  A vote is expected as soon as Sunday.

Among the measures included in the package is a Bingaman bill that would transfer about 130 acres of surplus Department of Energy (DOE) land to the Lovelace Foundation.

The foundation runs Lovelace Institute, a former Cold War-era DOE nuclear site that specialized in researching the health effects of radiation.

Lovelace has expanded beyond its Cold War mission and now performs important testing research for the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.

“This land transfer will benefit the Lovelace Foundation and will save taxpayers millions of dollars,” said Bingaman.

Lovelace will assume responsibility for monitoring and maintaining the land, which has been environmentally remediated.

The move will save taxpayers millions of dollars.

The bill also gives the Air Force possession of the “Coronado Club,” a DOE facility that Kirtland plans to turn into a conference center.